Wrench.



0. A. JOHNSON. WRENCH; APPLICATION F ILED MAY 14. 1.917..

1,269,180 Patented June 11,1918;

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES OSCAR A. JOHNSON, 0F NAPOLEON, NORTH DAKOTA.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1918.

Application filed May 14, 1917. Serial No. 168,529.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Oscar: A. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Napoleon, in the county of Logan and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wrenches and is particularly pertinent to the class of wrench designated a self-adjusting.

The primary object is to provide a pair of gripping aws which will automatically adjust themselves in the direction required for turning the nut.

Another object of the invention is to provide a movable and a fixed jaw held in operative relation by a novel arrangement of parts associated with both the fixed and the movable jaw whereby the operation of the wrench handle will move the movable jaw in a perfectly straight line toward or away from the fixed jaw.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a wrench which consists of comparatively few parts and is simple in construction, but durable and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which devices of this character are ordinarily subjected.

For a full description of the invention and the advantages and merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my invention, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation showing the interior mechanism of the wrench, the full lines indicating the open position and the dotted lines indicating the closed position of the jaws.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the movable jaw.

Referring to the drawing, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my invention, and in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the fixed jaw 1 is integrally connected with one end wall 2 of the casing 3. This casing comprises the two independent end walls 2 and 4 connected together by a bifurcated guide 5 one end of which is integrally formed with the end wall 2. The sides of the casing are closed by the removable side pieces or plates 6 and 7. .As shown by Fig. 1, the plate 6 has been removed to disclose the interior of the casing. A plurality of fastening pins are extended through the openings formed in the plates 6 and 7 and in the end walls 2 and 3 for retaining the plates in position to inclose the casing. Each plate is provided with an extension 8 which fits the sides of the jaw, thereby increasing the width of the jaw and causing the marginal edges of the plates to form a part of the jaw at this point.

The end wall 4 is provided with a tongue extended through the bifurcated portion of the guide 5 thereby forming an end obstruction for the space between the side arms of the guide. Mounted in this space is a movable jaw 10, the upper portion of which comprises the gripping element adapted to cooperate with the fixed jaw l for engaging a nut or the like. As shown by Fig. 4 of the drawing, the movable jaw is provided with a restricted neck 11 disposed in the space between the side arms of the guide 5. The opposite end of the jaw is enlarged to provide the shoulders 12 engageable with the inner edge ofthe guide 5, and this enlarged portion is bifurcated as at 13 to receive one end of the handle 14. The handle 14 has a slot 15 through which is extended a pivot pin 16, the ends of which are carried by the side plates 6 and 7. The handle is extended into the casing through an opening 17 formed by the spaced apart ends of the walls 2 and 4, and the width of this opening is suificient to permit free pivotal movement of the handle for actuating the jaw.

A coil expansion spring 18 is interposed between the wall 4 and the proximate edge of the handle within the casing 33, and this spring tends to normally hold the movable jaw in closed position so that the jaws may be engaged with a nut or the like and be retained in position if the hand of the user should be removed from the handle of the wrench. A slot in the handle which receives the pivot pin 16 permits suflicient longitudinal movement of the handle to compensate for the straight movement of the jaw governed by the guide 5. In this connection, it is pointed out that the guide causes the movable jaw to move in a direct line toward and away from the fixed jaw so that a perfectly flat contact is made with the Sides of the nut to which the device is applied. When the handle is turned for removing or tightening the nut the rotary action will cause the jaws to tightly grip the nut and as soon as pressure on the handle has been released the wrench may be easily removed without resorting to a releasing or gripping means.

From the fioregoing it will be observed that a very simple and durable wrench has been provided, the details of which embody the preferred form. desire it to be understood, however, that slight changes in the minor details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claim hereunto pp nd I claim:

A wrench comprising a fixed and a movable j aw, a casing including an end wall in tegrally formed with the fixed jaw, a bifurcated guide member integrally formed with the fixed jaw and projecting at right angles therefrom, removable plates attached to the said walls and the sides of said guide memher a second end wall having a tongue received between the ends of the bifurcated guides, the two end walls being curved and projected toward each other to provide a restricted opening communicating with the space between the said removable plates, a slidable jaw mounted in the said bifurcated guide member, and a handle pivoted in the said restricted opening and connected to the said jaw for moving the same toward and away from the said end Walls to move the nut engaging faces of the said jaw toward and away from each other.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

OSCAR A. JOHNSON. Witnesses.

T. K. MoRK, G. V. HArsnT.

Qo pies. of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents:

Washington, D. G. 

